The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute found over 150 employers and issuers utilizing outside vendors as part of their prescription drug benefit for their employees that designate certain drugs as “non-essential health benefits” to evade ACA cost-sharing requirements. Most of them implement copay maximizers, under which they keep all copay assistance from drug manufacturers rather than applying it to the patient’s out-of-pocket costs. Others use an alternative funding program, in which carved out drugs are sourced from patient assistance programs meant for the uninsured or by drug importation.
Senate testimony on FY25 appropriations for HIV and hepatitis programs
Our nation can eliminate both HIV and viral hepatitis, but without investing additional resources to accelerate our efforts, we will continue to fall short of these ambitious goals. Increased investment–and certainly not cuts–in surveillance, education, prevention, and care and treatment will lead to further progress in reducing HIV and viral hepatitis, which include taking a syndemic approach to achieve maximum impact.
House testimony on FY25 appropriations for HIV and hepatitis programs
Our nation can eliminate both HIV and viral hepatitis, but without an infusion of new resources to accelerate our efforts, we will continue to fall short of these ambitious goals. While we realize strict spending caps are in place, increased investment – and certainly not cuts – in surveillance, education, prevention, and care and treatment will lead to further progress in reducing HIV and viral hepatitis, which include taking a syndemic approach to achieve maximum impact. The programs and funding increases detailed below are pivotal to our nation’s ability to end both these potentially deadly infectious diseases.
Testimony on the selection of drugs for referral to MD stakeholder council
We believe Maryland policymakers should focus on those issues that directly impact patients, such as PBM regulation and reform, standard plan designs with reasonable deductibles and nominal copays, and ensuring copay assistance counts. We note that the General Assembly is currently considering HB 879, legislation that would ensure that copay assistance programs will count toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, and the Senate is considering SB 595.
Testimony on the IL Health Care Availability and Access Board Act (HB 4472)
We believe policymakers should focus on those issues that directly impact patients, such as PBM regulation and reform, standard plan designs with reasonable deductibles and nominal copays, and ensuring copay assistance counts. We realize that Illinois has taken many of these steps already, and that Illinois policymakers are advocating for change at the national level, too, but more can be done.